


Among Strays

by novakid



Series: What a Wonderful Strife [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: First Meetings, Heroes & Villains, M/M, Metahumans, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-16 19:29:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29954808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/novakid/pseuds/novakid
Summary: The Strays are a gang of meta-humans based in New York. They are neither heroes or villains. They do what they can to survive. They are a family.Farley's had a lot of families. One fake, one distant, one made of rats... This is the first one that could actually feel like home.
Relationships: Farley Star/Robert Povich, Original Male Character/Original Male Character
Series: What a Wonderful Strife [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2206038
Kudos: 3





	Among Strays

**Author's Note:**

> "the strays" is the idea of [a good friend of mine](https://kazekagay.tumblr.com/) from his DND server that i've been using as a piece of backstory for these two characters. check the series page for more details on my ocs!
> 
> quick TW: references to animal death and cannibalism.

_Like most newborn children, the day Farley met their family was the day they were created. Unlike all newborns, Farley was made as a fully grown adult; patch worked together out of dreams about hope and music. They remember waking up in a mystical dreamland where nothing quite made sense, running from their life from their bloodthirsty cousin, and being embraced by their ancient grandmother, a Goddess of Dreams. Her arms were warm and safe, and she led Farley back to their mother who was still knitting together fabricated memories of a life that never happened for them. It was a long scarf that looked as soft as clouds, and upon close inspection, was filled with dreams and memories she had made to make the person Farley was going to be._

_"You're going to make so many people happy, Farley!" Their mother told them, eyes shining brightly against pitch black sclerae. She said so with such joy and confidence, Farley believed her. They laid on the grass, watched their mother continue to knit their memories together, and fell asleep as they counted the laugh wrinkles on her face._

_When they woke up, they were a fully realized person with thoughts and memories and a personality. They were also alone in an alley in a city Farley would later identify as New York City, where their mother had placed them._

* * *

For months after that, they were fine on their own. Playing music in the park and sleeping in abandoned places. Their magical voice, and the instrument their mother crafted them kept them safe for the most part. It was hard to be sure, because with every crime fighting super hero that sprang up in the city, five villains would follow to challenge them. Farley was sure they wanted nothing to do with that. They wanted to live on this Earth they were put on and make music for the rats and pigeons and people who were willing to listen.

The rats were the first to worry about Farley's safety on the streets. Rumours spread among them, and there were many of them, about how one rat's brother was eaten by a monster and their family knew a neighbouring family whose den was left in bloodshed, and so on and so forth. As much as Farley hated to hear of the gruesome tales, they were hardly worried for their own safety. The rats cried into their sharp ears about a beast with jaws as big and as sharp as trees and needles, but Farley was sure they could hold their own against a cat or dog or whatever was really after their furry friends.

Farley did, however, start to get nervous when the news reported full human bodies being devoured by a "beast."

"Mother," Farley murmured one night as they were struggling to sleep. "Why would you leave me in such a scary world?"

Tensions were high in the borrows, and each night that passed felt like a weight of what Farley could only assume was impending doom on their chest. Something in the way they felt in the alley ways they'd come to familiarize themself with, as if something was watching them. Following them.

One night, in the rain and cloud, it all came to a head when something in the shadows began to peruse Farley. Something dark and hungry and _fast_ , and worst of all, unknown to them. It was too dark to risk looking back to catch a glimpse, and too otherworldly sounding to identify. Farley, with their clever mind and sharp years, could not for the life of them figure what was chasing them that night. They were fortunate enough to evade the monster, but even after Farley leaped up to catch the ladder of a fire escape, swing up to get out of the monster's reach, they didn't feel safe.

They were safe from it that night, but Farley felt troubled as they looked down at their pursuer from the fire escape, a creature that was all shadow and two eyes. They wondered if they'd be safe tomorrow.

Not long after the night they were pursued, Farley felt themself surrounded in an alley during a bright day.

 _The creature wouldn't attack in broad daylight, would it?_ Farley wondered as they felt a presence behind them.

To their relief, it wasn't a monster waiting to eat them when they turned around. Instead, it was three men. They all wore monochrome uniforms and, more peculiarly, animal masks. a hippo, a bull, and in the middle, a raccoon. All of the masks were white with a minimalist design.

"Can I help you?" they asked.

"The question is," Raccoon said, "can _you_ help _us_."

"...That's what I said."

By the end of that meeting, Farley learned about a gang called _The Strays;_ a group of meta humans who took what they needed from a city that never gave anything back to them. Lost people with powers and nowhere to go, who joined together and used their abilities to protect each other.

Raccoon gave Farley a rat mask, asked them to think about joining, and contact information.

That was how Farley found themself among The Strays.

* * *

"This is the meal hall." The woman said, tall and broad and wearing a Kangaroo mask. "We have food in the storage rooms. We keep track of all our supplies, so if you're putting anything in or taking anything out, make sure you let a supervisor know so they can write it down. All of the food is distributed equally. Members take turns serving the food, but you don't have to worry about that quite yet. We do take turns with all chores, so even if you're new, you're still expected to help clean." She turned to Farley and they heard a smile in her voice. "I hear you're friendly with the city's vermin. I get that, I do, but try not to let them in any of the warehouses or living spaces, yeah?"

 _They don't like being called vermin,_ Farley thought. But nodded along and adjusted the rat mask they'd been wearing since they entered the warehouse acting as the living quarters for The Strays.

"You've been assigned a roommate, who will also act as a teammate. At least until we get a better idea of your strengths and weaknesses and are able to pair you up with a solid three person team." Kangaroo led Farley down a short flight of stairs until they reached a hall of rooms. "Your room is down at the end. 118. I'm pretty sure Bobcat is there right now."

"My roommate's name is Bobcat?"

"Bobcat is his name just as much as Rat is yours." Kangaroo tittered and patted Farley on the back. "You're free to come and go when you want. Have some dinner if you haven't already, and feel free to sleep here when you need it. Find me tomorrow and I can get you in touch with the guy who recruited you, okay?"

She left, and Farley headed down the hall to their room.

They pulled their mask off their face when they got to the room. It was mostly bare with two beds on opposite sides, against the wall. Not unlike a dorm room, but a lot less inviting. The one thing of note was the man inside. A huge guy in his monochrome uniform, too tall for his bed but laying in it anyway with his legs hanging off the end. With his mask off and on the side table, Farley took a look at his face. Chiseled jaw, scruffy beard, and hair nearly reaching chin length. He seemed to be reading something, but abruptly dropped the book on the bed at his side when he noticed Farley.

"You must be Rat."

"Um. Yeah! You must be Bobcat." They closed the door behind them and looked around the room. Besides the mask they were given and the flute their mother gave them, Farley had no belongings. They set them both on the bed and sat on it, and looked across the room at their roommate. "I'm new. I just came here today. Have you been here long?"

Bobcat stared intensely at Farley for a few moments. They were about to ask what was wrong when he finally spoke, "What the hell is wrong with your eyes?"

Farley blinked and looked away, self conscious. It'd been awhile since they thought about it, but suddenly remembered the odd looks they'd gotten from other people when they first arrived in the city. Bright green pupils and black sclerae definitely drew unwanted attention and made Farley want to hide away from people when they realized how odd it was, making them ashamed of the only physical trait they shared with their family. It was easier to stay away and spend time with the rats instead, but now they lived with people... Did Farley have to wear a mask every second of every day to avoid more staring and judgement?

"Hey, calm down. Don't freak out." Bobcat said suddenly, interrupting their train of thought. "Listen, nearly everyone here is a meta and a freak, so it doesn't matter how weird you look." Then, he rubbed the back of his head apologetically. "Sorry for uh... bringing attention to it. Stupid of me."

"Oh." That was surprising. "It's okay! Um. Thank you for apologizing. I thought I was normal until I came to New York."

Bobcat raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? Where'd you come from that made it normal?"

"Tophet." They said, and continued when it was clear that Bobcat didn't know where that was. "It's a realm of dreams, as well as a Goddess of Dreams. Tophet was where I was born, as well as my Grandmother."

Now both of Bobcat's eyebrows were raised far on his forehead. "Got it... So, what, you're a God or something?"

"No. Just a dream."

"That doesn't make sense."

Farley pouted at this and crossed their arms. Sure, it may not have made sense, but that didn't give anyone the right to say so. "Oh? And what are you? What do you do?"

He shook his head and rolled his eyes. "I'm strong and scary. That's about it. Pretty simple."

"I don't think you're scary."

That caused a reaction from Bobcat. He sat up on his bed and nearly _growled._ "I could pick up your bed above my head with you on it, Rat. I could throw you up ten stories."

Farley froze and waited a moment before relaxing again. "You probably could, but would you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"...I'm saying, is that something you even _want_ to do?" They smiled when Bobcat frowned and shook his head. They got up from their seat and approached the other side of the room to sit next to their roommate. "Then you don't have to threaten me like that. Lets start over... My name's Farley. Farley Star."

Bobcat scoffed and turned his head away, trying to seem annoyed by the gesture but not moving away. "You're feelin' real chummy, huh?"

"Why not? I know we have masks and use code names, but we're roommates, right? Teammates too." Farley deflated a bit; talking to rats was so much easier, but they refused to give up completely. "You don't have to tell me your name. Or use my real one. But since we'll be living and working together, I may as well extend to you my trust."

Bobcat seemed to mull this over in his head, biting his lower lip as he did. Finally, he smiled, though it looked small and suppressed. "Fine... Farley. You really a dream or somethin'?"

"More like I'm made out of dreams." They nodded. "And hope."

"Wait." He laughed and tilted his head to the side. "You're made out of _hopes and dreams?"_

"Well... It sounds awfully cheesy when you say it like that."

"It does. Unbelievable." Bobcat chuckled again and laid back down, crossing his arms under his head. "Whatever. You'll fit in as right as rain with the rest of the freaks here."

The sound of that lifted Farley's spirit considerably. They crawled on the bed until their head hovered right above Bobcat's, which caused the man to inadvertently flinch and fluster. "Do you really mean that?"

Bobcat's adam apple bobbed in his throat and he went to nod, only to think better of it and instead spoke, "Yeah. All of us are just castaways that had nowhere else to go. We all had nothin', or were on the road to havin' nothin'. So. Even weirdos like you are gonna be in familiar company."

Farley smiled warmly and considered this. A family of people who weren't just a distant memory or a collection of mythical beings worlds away from their own... Maybe they wouldn't feel so alone anymore. "Thank you, Bobcat." They got up and headed for their own bed. ready to sleep in for the night. They placed their mask and flute on the desk next to the desk and turned off the light closest to them. And Bobcat's light followed soon after.

It was only when Farley was comfortable under the covers of their new (first!) bed did they hear Bobcat speak up again. "Hey... Did you... Did you really mean it when you said you weren't scared of me?"

It was a surprising question that Farley wasn't expecting, but they answered without hesitation nonetheless. "Of course. Maybe It's naive of me, but I don't think humans are scary. Maybe they do scary things." They pulled the blankets tighter around themself. "But you haven't done anything to me. We're friends now too, so I don't have to be scared of you."

There was a long, drawn out silence in the pitch black. And for a moment, Farley figured that Bobcat had fallen off to sleep. They were about to follow suit, until they heard his voice again. "It's Robert, by the way. Robert Povich."

A smile crept its way on Farley's face, and they felt a warm feeling in their stomach ready to pop. Joy, giddiness, excitement. Their first human friend has a name now. "It's nice to meet you, Robert."

"...Yeah, whatever. Shut up and go to sleep." Robert said, and Farley pictured him say it while smiling too.

For the first time since their creation, Farley fell asleep happy and safe, excited to wake up the next day.


End file.
